Schedule and 2004 Results
Regular Season Records: Toronto 45-24-10-3=103pts, Ottawa 43-23-10-6=102pts
Game 1 on Thursday, 8 Apr: Ottawa wins at Toronto, 4-goals-2
Game 2 on Saturday, 10 Apr: Ottawa loses at Toronto, 2-goals-nil
Game 3 on Monday, 12 Apr: Toronto wins at Ottawa, 2-goals-nil
Game 4 on Wednesday, 14 Apr: Toronto loses at Ottawa, 4-goals-1
Game 5 on Friday, 16 Apr: Ottawa loses at Toronto, 2-goals-nil
Game 6 on Sunday, 18 Apr: Toronto loses at Ottawa, 2-goals-1 (2OT)
Game 7 on Tuesday, 20 Apr: Ottawa loses at Toronto, 4-goals-1

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: Becoming the first and only NHL team to win a 2004 NHL Preliminary-round Game 7 on home ice, the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted and defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-goals-1, thereby winning best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 909, 4-games-3. Toronto thus improves its best-of-7 series records to 35-37 (all rounds) and 8-5 (Preliminary round only), while those for Ottawa fall to 4-8 (all rounds) and 3-5 (Preliminary round only). Toronto now owns a 4-0 series record vs. Ottawa in best-of-7 NHL playoff series. The win order for the victorious Leafs in best-of-7 series 909 was LWWLWLW: Series 909 thus becomes the sixth NHL Preliminary round series, the ninth NHL series (all rounds), and the 18th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow such a win order.

After Game 6: The Ottawa Senators hosted and defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-goals-1 in Ottawa, thus tying best-of-7 series 909 at 3-games-all. Ottawa won Game 6 with a goal 1:47 into the second overtime. From 1939 through 2003, home teams 1:46 into the second overtime had a game record of 32-47 (.405); thus, the Senators' win constituted a minor upset. In NHL playoff series (all rounds), the home team for Game 7 has a 70-41 (.631) record (all rounds) and a 23-14 (.622) record (Preliminary round). At home for Game 7, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a 6-1 record with an active three-Game 7 winning streak (all rounds), and a 1-0 record in the NHL Preliminary round. On the road for Game 7, the Ottawa Senators have a 0-2 record (all rounds) and a 0-1 record (Preliminary round).

After Game 5: With best-of-7 series 909 having returned to Toronto, the Maple Leafs hosted and shut out the Ottawa Senators 2-goals-nil to take a 3-games-2 series lead. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Toronto Maple Leafs have an 18-5 overall series record and a perfect 6-0 Preliminary-round series record; when trailing 3-games-2, the Ottawa Senators have a 0-2 overall series record and a 0-1 Preliminary-round series record. In NHL best-of-7 Preliminary-round play, when a team follows a win order of LWWLW (as the Maple Leafs have in series 909), its series record is 12-0.

After Game 4: With its series 909 Game 4 victory by a 4-goals-1 tally on home ice, the Ottawa Senators knot their best-of-7 battle vs. cross-province rival Toronto Maple Leafs at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Ottawa Senators have an overall series record of 1-3 and a Preliminary-round series record of 0-2, while the Toronto Maple Leafs have an overall series record of 19-14 and a Preliminary-round series record of 6-2.

After Game 3: With best-of-7 playoff series 909 having moved across Ontario to Ottawa for Games 3-4, the Toronto Maple Leafs accomplished on Game 3 road ice exactly what they achieved on Game 2 home ice: a 2-goals-nil shutout of the Ottawa Senators. The Maple Leafs thus now lead series 909 by a 2-games-1 tally. When leading a best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-1, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a 17-8 overall series record and a 4-2 Preliminary-round series record. When trailing a best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-1, the Ottawa Senators have an 0-4 overall series record and an 0-2 Preliminary-round series record.

After Game 2: Rebounding from a Game 1 loss, the Toronto Maple Leafs shut out the Ottawa Senators 2-goals-nil on home ice, thereby tying best-of-7 series 909 at 1-game-all. From 1939 through 2003, when an NHL team lost Game 1 but then won Game 2 of a best-of-7 playoff series by shutout, its series record was 18-8 (.692) irrespective of site. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a 15-19 overall series record and a 2-3 Preliminary-round series record, while the Ottawa Senators have a 4-3 overall series record and a 3-1 Preliminary-round series record (with a current three-series winning streak).

After Game 1: The Ottawa Senators defeated the Maple Leafs in Toronto, 4-goals-2, to take a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 playoff series 909. The Senators thus become the only road team (of eight total) to capture a victory in Game 1 of their respective 2004 NHL Preliminary round playoff series. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Ottawa Senators have a 2-2 overall series record and a 1-0 Preliminary-round series record; when trailing 1-game-nil, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a 15-24 overall series record and a 3-2 Preliminary-round series record.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2003-04 regular season, Toronto finished one point ahead of Ottawa. From 1939 through 2003, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by one regular-season point, they have gone on to post a 7-2 (.778) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 909 is the 12th best-of-7 playoff series for Ottawa and the 72nd for Toronto. In best-of-7 playoff series, Ottawa has a 4-7 series record, a 3-4 Prelim-round series record, and a 4-7 Game 1 record, while Toronto has a 34-37 record, a 7-5 Prelim-round record, and a 32-39 Game 1 record. Series 909 is the fourth best-of-7 meeting between Ottawa and Toronto; Toronto has won the previous three (series 800, 824, and 857).